A moment later Alice appeared, dressed to the nines and made up like a painted doll.

‘You look like some floozy off the streets!’ her mother accused. ‘I hope you’re not off on your travels again, leaving your brother to do all the work round this place. It’s not right for a man to clean and cook and see to the needs of a lady like myself. Then there’s the tailoring. He never stops. He’ll work himself into the ground, that’s what he’ll do. If he goes under, God help us all!’

Sweeping into the room, Alice snapped back, ‘For heaven’s sake, Mother, don’t be so dramatic. I have things to do, so what is it you want? Harry said you were most insistent.’

‘I want to talk to you about Harry.’

‘What about him?’

‘He needs to get out more. At his age he needs other company. He can’t survive with an old woman and an embittered creature like you.’

‘If you mean to insult me, I’ll take my leave right now!’

‘You’ll stay and hear what I’ve got to say, that’s what you’ll do.’

‘What makes you think I have any influence over Harry?’

Maud eyed her with suspicion. ‘I don’t know what goes on between you two,’ she said, ‘but I know there is something. He seems almost afraid to stand up to you.’ It was as though Alice knew something Harry didn’t want made public. ‘I can sense it whenever you’re near, and it’s gone on too long. I don’t understand it and I don’t like it. I want it to stop so that Harry can start to live a proper life.’

‘Don’t be silly, Mother.’ In her arrogance, Alice had not realised how astute the old woman was, and it came as a shock. ‘Why would he be afraid of me?’

‘I didn’t say he was afraid of you. I said he seemed to be afraid to stand up to you.’

‘Well, you’re wrong. He’s always on at me, don’t do this, do that. If he got the chance, he’d run my life.’

‘It needs somebody to run it, my girl. You don’t seem to know what you want from one day to the next. First you have these “ladies’ days” when you have all and sundry parading about my house, no doubt poking their noses into this and that. Then you get fed up with their company and go gadding off to God knows where whenever the fancy takes you. And now you’ve picked up with this fellow who looks like he’s into all sorts of shady dealings.’

Alice was furious. ‘How dare you spy on me?’ Rushing closer to the bed, she thumped her fist on the pillow, only inches away from her mother’s face. ‘Who I see and what I choose to do with my life is my own business, and I don’t want you or Harry telling me what I should and shouldn’t do.’ Eyes blazing, she pressed her face close, her voice falling to a harsh whisper. ‘If you had your way, you’d have me in chains, but you won’t. I’ll see to that.’